UI Health offers new managed care plan for Medicaid patients

September 16, 2014

The University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System now offers a managed care plan for patients currently enrolled in Medicaid.

The plan, called UI Health Plus, will provide coordinated care to clients, who will be assigned a primary care provider at UI Health. Clients will then be able to access care across the UI Health system, including all 12 of the Mile Square Health Center clinics located throughout Chicago.

The plan is the result of a new Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services initiative to transition most of its Medicaid clients to managed care plans. Most Chicago-area recipients are expected to be enrolled in plans by early spring.

By having patients see providers within a single system or network, the state aims to improve patient outcomes and reduce its Medicaid costs.

“UI Health is well-positioned to play a leadership role in the new Medicaid environment because of our large Medicaid population and our commitment to providing the highest-quality care to all our patients,” says Jerry Bauman, interim vice president for health affairs. “Our UI Health Plus plan is designed to deliver on that commitment by offering the coordinated care of our top physicians, specialists, nurses and staff within the UI Health network.”

Every UI Health Plus enrollee’s healthcare team will include a dedicated care coordinator to ensure the patient’s care plan is shared among all providers. The care coordinator will also link patients to social services for nonmedical needs, such as legal assistance or substance abuse rehabilitation. Patients will also have access to educational and wellness programs aimed at improving overall health, as well as transportation to appointments for those who need it.

The new UI Health Plus plan will be available to adults newly eligible for Medicaid as a result of the Affordable Care Act as well as children and their families who live in the city of Chicago or three of its suburbs – Berwyn, Cicero or Oak Park.